Spring 2013 New Student Orientation

The New Student Orientation will be held on Wednesday, January 23rd at 5:45pm in the Elebash Recital Hall at the CUNY Graduate Center (first floor). Please make every effort to attend as important information will be shared by CUNY Baccalaureate staff and students.

Our student speaker will be Diane Kolack, who came to CUNY Baccalaureate with nine years of working and volunteering in the areas of sustainable food, law and politics. She holds a certificate in holistic health and nutrition, has taught cooking from a natural foods perspective, has studied the psychology of food and the diets of different cultures and regions, and has a prior interfaith seminary education which influences the way she thinks of social justice issues. In her CUNY BA degree she studied the social, economic, cultural and psychological factors that have influenced food consumption practices and patterns, as well as the environmental, ethical and economic factors in food production and distribution, mentored by Professor Jonathan Deutsch. Concurrent with her seminary studies, she founded the Sunnyside Community Agriculture (CSA) group, which supports organic farmers on Long Island. She is also a key stakeholder in the development of the Queens Harvest Food Co-op, slated to open in 2013. Diane has held internships at The Food Network (online editorial), The Street Vendor Project (community organizing), and The NYC Office of Emergency Management (policy & planning). Her academic awards include the Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowship, the Harriet Brows Scholarship for social change, and participation in the JFEW Eleanor Roosevelt Scholars Program at Hunter College. Her diverse professional background includes paralegal work, non-profit program administration, corporate accounting, interfaith ministry as well as culinary training in New York and in Florence, Italy. Diane graduated magna cum laude from CUNY BA in the Spring of 2012. She works as a Program Editor for the Classic Arts division of Playbill magazine.